Tucked, I never tucked. It was the first fitted shirt I had purchased in years. Until that day, when I looked around my closet I had a billowy shirt for every season. If you know what a billowy shirt and is and you've been telling yourself that "tucking is not your stye" (like I did for years) than you want to keep reading.

The truth is, every women has some part of their body that they are looking to cover up and billowy shirts are the universal cure for flabby and bloated middle sections.

Not only has my midsection been a major preoccupation since my teenage years which includes hundreds of attempts to flatten it, I had resigned myself to accepting and dressing for it after the birth of my son.

You see there is one simple reason I was not overweight and still pudgy in the middle 5 years after giving birth.

Today I share the 5 tell-tale signs I was in the billowy shirt trap and how I finally got out. Hint: It does not include exercising more.

How do you know when you're eating too much sugar....

1. Bloated Middle: If you haven't heard by now, fat doesn't make you fat - sugar does! If you've been trying to lose the midsection weight and the last pounds just won't budge it's probably because there are hidden sugars in your snacks and "healthy treats", and morning chai teas. Try cutting out the sugar and most grains for a couple of weeks. Sugar wreaks havoc in the gut, which causes stress, obsessive negative self talk which leads to shame and really slows down weight loss.

2. Sugar/Carb Cravings: Sugar is the new crack! It is addictive and the more you eat the more you crave, all day, every day. If you're constantly craving something sweet after you eat you're hooked on the sweet stuff. Chances are you're probably protein deficient which can prevent you from absorbing the nutrients in your foods and slowing down metabolic function. When you eliminate refined sugars and artificial sweeteners, and supplement with healthy proteins combined with an abundance of dark leafy greens you'll realize how sweet life is without the crack.

3. Anxious/Feeling Blue: Are you feeling like a Nervous Nelly or like the other shoe is going to drop at any minute. Sugar is probably a big contributing factor. There is a reason they call it "sugar blues" -sugar puts you on the spin cycle of emotions that can be hard to step out of until you make the decision to cut the refined crack out of your life. You'll notice your fog lift and things won't feel so stressful when you lay off the hard stuff.

4. Fatigue: Are you at Starbucks more often these days or making yourself extra chai teas at home. Chances are you're on a blood sugar rollercoaster. Reaching for sugar is often the case when we're tired to counteract the fatigue and hormonal swings. Give it a few days without sugar, sometimes a week and you will feel your energy levels start to smooth out.

5. Puffy Eyes, Dull Skin: Sugar can age you in a hot minute -literally within days by dehydrating the body and drying out your gorgeous face. It wreaks havoc inside your body by causing inflammation which gives you that horrible puffiness under the eyes and bloated face. If you have any of these symptoms look no further as sugar could be a major culprit. Eliminated the refined sugar and watch your radiant glow return. Once you've eliminated the refined sugar check out these beauty rituals for how to maintain the glow.

Does any of this sound like you? It certainly rang as loud as Sunday morning church bells for me. I kept telling myself that the vegan cookies, crackers and chai lattes were rewards for my clean eating and living. I lost count of how many times I promised to give up refined sugar right after the next party, social function, or vacation.

What I'm learning is that there is a super sweet life without sugar waiting for me. It's a practice that is achieved with patience, love and support. Join me and other beauties in an awesome community where we discover how to Live a Sweet Life (Sugar Free). This vibrant community will inspire you, give you the chance to connect, share successes and challenges and dance in the sweetness of pleasure without the side effects.

Being a part of this community offers awesome accountability, and so much inspiration for you. You’ll get the chance to connect with fellow cleansers, swap stories and successes, and generally soak in all the leafy green love. Delicious!